A Second Chance
by foobar137
Summary: Phineas ran away from home, abandoning Isabella and their two-week-old daughter. Now it's the daughter's first birthday, and he's returned. Can he build a relationship with his daughter? Can he rebuild his relationship with Isabella? Can he get a second chance?
1. Coming Home

**Trigger warnings: abandonment, mental breakdown, depression, thoughts of suicide**

**Rated T for themes, mildly offensive language, and some adult romance.**

**Time frame: Isabella and Phineas are twenty-three.**

* * *

Phineas watched Frank's truck drive off, then took a quick look at himself. Fortunately, Frank had ensured he'd gotten a shower today, and had clean clothes. _No more excuses. _Phineas walked up to the second floor of the apartment building, shivering a little bit in the chilly late September weather. He took a deep breath as he knocked on the door.

The peephole darkened, as if someone were looking through it. Finally, after a pause, the door swung open.

Isabella stood there, looking daggers at him. "Nice of you to make it back for her birthday," she said bitterly. Clinging to her leg from behind, a toddler with bright blue eyes and auburn hair looked up at him questioningly.

"I'm sorry. I was the biggest idiot in the world. I can't justify running like that. I just got scared. I know it's too late to patch things up with you, but..." He nodded to the little girl behind Isabella. "I need to be there for her."

Isabella nodded and, scooping up the little girl, stepped aside to let him in. "So what did your mother have to say about you coming back? Or Ferb?"

"I haven't told them yet. Seeing you two was first on my list. They're next." He followed her gesture into the living room, and sat awkwardly on the edge of a couch. It all looked like he remembered, except for the addition of toddler toys on the floor. A small kitchen and dining area off to one side of a large living room, with three bedrooms and a bathroom coming off of it. Two couches faced each other; the TV sat off to one side of both.

Isabella sat across from him, holding the little girl. He waved at the girl, and said, "Hello, Becky. Happy birthday. I'm your father."

The little girl's brow furrowed, and she looked at her mother questioningly. With her lips pursed, Isabella nodded. "He is." Turning back to Phineas, she asked, "So where have you been for the past eleven and a half months?"

"Here and there. I wish I could say I knew why I ran, but I just got scared. And then I was two days away, and I made my second-biggest mistake."

She inclined her head questioningly.

"I didn't come back once the initial panic wore off."

"So what will you do now?"

"I don't know yet. See if Ferb needs a bottle-washer in his lab, maybe. If not, then maybe Mom and Dad need someone to work the register. But, first and foremost...do what I can to be the Dad she needs."

"She needs one who'll stay."

"I'm done running. I'm here for good."

"That's what I thought a year ago."

He nodded sadly. "I know. Of all the screw-ups I've done, that was the biggest. I don't deserve another chance. I know that."

Becky squirmed, and Isabella set her down. She toddled over toward Phineas, and he held out his hands in offering. With a suspicious look, she turned and toddled back to her mother as quickly as her little legs would carry her.

Isabella looked at him. "Going to stay with your parents?"

"For now, at least. If they'll let me."

She chuckled. "If not, maybe Ferb and Vanessa will let you sleep on their couch."

* * *

His father had yelled at him for what he'd done, and his mother had clamped her arms around him and refused to let go; they'd agreed to let him stay with them on the condition that he talk to a therapist. He borrowed their phone to call Ferb, who told him to show up at the lab the next morning and they'd talk, and Candace, who'd yelled at him before bursting into tears. He then walked back to Isabella's to help put Becky to bed. The little girl was still reluctant to have anything to do with this strange man, which he understood and didn't really blame her for.

After she was asleep, he sat up in the living room with Isabella and listened to her tell him how her year had been. About the pitying looks she'd gotten from her friends when they heard that he'd left. The snide comments behind her back. The money Ferb had given her out of Phineas's share of the lab they'd built. The help she'd gotten from his parents. Her mother providing child care so she could continue working at a nearby software company as a project manager. Candace and Jeremy offering to babysit to give her a chance to find someone new. Her two disastrous dates, set up by her mother: one with a guy who thought her having a kid meant she'd put out on the first date, and one with a guy who didn't like kids at all. Phineas apologized, but there didn't seem to be enough words to apologize sufficiently for what he'd put her through.

In return, he told her of his travels. Of rides from kind souls. Of waking up on the beach as the high tide reached him. Of odd jobs to pay for a bit of food. Of sleeping cold on the street when he ran out of money and was too proud to go to a shelter. Of considering ending it all on the Golden Gate Bridge, thinking it would be less painful than returning. Of deciding that his daughter deserved better than that, even if he didn't. Of trying to get back for her birthday, and a lucky break where a trucker heading to Danville had given him a ride across five states right to her door, making sure he was presentable on the way.

Finally, they parted for the night. "I need to go get some sleep," he said. "I suspect Ferb's going to make me work for a living tomorrow. May I come back tomorrow night to get to know my daughter some more?"

She nodded. "Please."


	2. Rebuilding a Life

Isabella woke up to Becky babbling in her crib in the next room over. Part of her wondered if Phineas's return last night had been a dream, but she knew better. Almost a year of hard reality had shown her the difference from dreamland all too well.

If it had been a dream, she would have leapt into his arms as he'd promised he'd never leave again. Instead, she'd been so mad when she saw him through the peephole that she almost didn't open the door, and she'd realized she didn't want him to even touch her.

She sighed and climbed out of bed, pulling on a pair of red sweatpants that almost matched her pink nightshirt as she went to retrieve her daughter. "Hey there, sport," she said, pulling the little girl out of her crib. "How are you today?"

"Ab ba ba," Becky said.

"Is that so?" Isabella lay her daughter on the changing table, slipping off her wet diaper and putting a fresh one on in its place.

"Da da."

Isabella stopped and stared at the little girl. "What?"

"Da da." Becky giggled.

_Well, he made an impression on somebody_, Isabella thought, bringing her over to the kitchen table.

She buckled Becky into her high chair, then tracked down breakfast for her daughter and coffee for herself.

"That was your Da Da that came over last night. Your Daddy. His name is Phineas," Isabella said as she started the coffee maker. "He'll be back tonight as well."

"Thbbbbmmmm," Becky said through a mouthful of oatmeal.

Isabella looked at the clock, trying to figure out if she had time to make herself breakfast before she went in to work. Deciding the time was too tight, she gulped down her coffee and a granola bar, then headed to take a shower.

The hot water temporarily washed her cares away, and she reveled in it. But all too soon, it had to come to an end, and she turned off the water. A quick check on Becky - still working on her oatmeal - and she went into the bedroom to prepare for the day.

_No meetings today_, she thought, so she could dress more casually. A pair of grey slacks, a light pink blouse, and black flats seemed like a reasonable choice, with a pink hair band to keep her long black hair out of her face.

Becky was just finishing her breakfast, so Isabella wiped her off and got her ready for the day. A quick drive took them the quarter-mile or so to her mother's house, where Vivian was waiting to watch her granddaughter for the day.

"Becky, you've gotten so big!" Vivian began, then giving Isabella an approving look, said, "I heard Phineas came back last night, and you sent him packing."

"I suggested that he stay at his parents' house," Isabella said without thinking.

"Oh? If he'd asked to spend the night, would you have let him?" Vivian asked sharply.

"No, not at all," Isabella said. "I know, I was hoping he'd come back and we'd just magically be a family again, but that's not happening. We've changed too much. He's coming back tonight to work on being a father, though."

Vivian snorted. "I still say you should find someone else for that job. It worked for Linda."

"I'm not Linda, in case you hadn't noticed. And Phineas isn't his biological father. _Phineas_ came back."

Vivian sighed. "_Si_. He did. One measly point in his favor, against...getting you pregnant out of wedlock, not even proposing before the baby was born, and then running away two weeks later."

Isabella closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn't want to argue this one right now. The first had been accidental, and it hadn't been like he'd forced her into living with him. It had been her idea.

The second...she'd wanted it, but he'd been worried about it seeming to be just because of the child, and he wanted it to be clear when he proposed that it was because he really wanted to. They'd agreed to get engaged once Becky was born, until his disappearance sunk that plan.

The third, well, he really didn't have a defense there. But it wasn't like they were going to be a couple again. That was water under the bridge now.

"Mama, I need to get to work. Becky, be good for Abuela, okay?"

"Bwea," Becky said.

"Love you," Isabella said, kissing her daughter's forehead. "Gracias, Mama."

She hopped into her car and headed to the office, trying to plan out her day.

* * *

Phineas walked through the glass doors of what was, apparently, still called Fletcher and Flynn Technologies. The clean modern lines of the office showed in the minimalist artwork on the walls, the visitor chairs, the low tables covered with pamphlets on the inventions created by the companies, and the front desk. Carla, the grey-haired grandmother who worked as their receptionist, still sat at the front desk, and she started as she saw him.

"Mr. Flynn! You're alive!" she shouted.

"I am. Ferb knows I'm coming; is he available?"

"I'll check. It's nice to see you back," she said, punching buttons on her phone. "Mr. Fletcher? Mr. Flynn is here." She listened for a moment, then said, "Of course. I'll let him know." She punched the disconnect button, and said, "He'll meet you in Roller Coaster."

The conference rooms had all been named after some of their favorite summer constructions; Roller Coaster was a small room near the entrance. Phineas walked into the office, slipping into the conference room unnoticed by the staff. He suspected that was why Ferb had chosen this one, instead of one nearer his desk like Mini-Submarine.

Phineas waited, looking out the window at Danville below. The office was on the top floor of a medium-height building near downtown; a few blocks away, he could see the odd shape of Ferb's father-in-law's building.

The door opened behind him, and Ferb came in. His eyes were watery, and he walked quickly over to Phineas. Silently, he raised a hand and slapped Phineas across the cheek, then took him in his arms for a crushing hug.

"Don't you ever do that again," Ferb whispered.

"I'll do what I can," Phineas said, "but it wasn't like I planned to last time."

Ferb let go and looked at him, sadly. "What happened to you? You look so thin - even for you."

"I've been homeless, Ferb. Food got scarce sometimes. I don't know if there's anything I can do for you here...I need a job, Ferb. Is there...anything?"

Ferb blinked at him, then a wide smile broke over his face. "You're still half-owner, Phineas. Of course there is. Come on, let's get you back to work."

Ferb pulled him over to HR to get him back on the company's insurance; Phineas found out he'd been placed on an indefinite leave of absence. After the paperwork was done, he went to tech support and got a new laptop and phone. His first message sent was to Isabella, giving her his new number and scheduling their meeting that night; his second was to his mother, and then his first call was to the therapist Ferb had gotten a recommendation for. They scheduled an initial appointment for the following Monday.

He was reintroduced to the company at lunch, to reactions ranging from grumbling to happy tears.

After lunch, he sat back at his desk - just the way he'd left it before he'd gone on paternity leave - and talked to Ferb about the state of the company.

"We're still growing, but growth is tapering off without new inventions in the pipeline," Ferb said.

"Sorry. Give me a couple days and I'll see what I can come up with. Where's the wood-metal fuser? I'll try to prototype some stuff with it."

"It finally broke," Ferb said with a shrug.

"Oh. Huh." Phineas frowned, then suddenly smiled as a thought occurred to him. "Then let's make a new one. Ferb, I know what we're going to do today."

* * *

By the end of the day, he had a working fuser, and the company's patent attorneys were busily turning his description into a list of patentable claims. He and Ferb would need to spend some time streamlining it and making it better, but the core of it was working now.

"You're staying with Mom and Dad for now?" Ferb asked.

Phineas nodded. "Going over to help with Becky tonight. I missed so much...need to make sure I don't miss more."

"Thank you for calling the therapist."

"Thank you for...everything, Ferb. I feel like the prodigal son, and you've slain the fatted calf for me. It's more than I deserve."

Ferb shrugged. "You're my brother."

"Isabella said you handed some of my share of the profits over to her to support her and Becky. Thank you for that."

"I assumed it was what you'd want."

"It was. I have...one request. Something that would take a load off of my mind."

Ferb nodded, then his eyes got wide as Phineas described what he wanted.

"You're sure."

"Yes. Do whatever you can, Ferb. This is important."


	3. How We Got Here

**Note: I'm not a therapist or psychologist. Anyone who is one is welcome to yell at me about how I've mangled what's going on here.**

* * *

Nervously, Phineas entered the office. A young man sat at the desk; he smiled at Phineas, asking, "Can I help you?"

Phineas checked the appointment on his phone. "Hi, I'm here to see Corinne Delgado?"

The young man looked at the schedule, and said, "You must be Mr. Flynn. I'm Jamie, nice to meet you. Here's the intro paperwork," he handed over a clipboard with a sheet of paper on it, "and I need your insurance card." Phineas gave him his temporary card and retreated to a chair to fill out the form. The first side was basic current health and similar, but the back started with a simple question: "Why are you here?"

Phineas thought for a moment, and wrote, **Because I abandoned my family in a panic and didn't come home for a year afterwards, and I need to make sure I never do that again.**

The rest of the form discussed elements of his mental health, as well as family history. **My biological father abandoned my mother after I was born, and was never seen or heard from again.**

He handed the form to Jamie, who put it in a folder and handed back his insurance card. "Just have a seat, she'll be with you in just a couple minutes."

Phineas sat and nervously poked at his phone while he waited. After a few minutes, a large Hispanic woman came in and said, "Phineas Flynn?"

Phineas got up and followed her into a cozy, wood-paneled office, with a desk to one side and two comfortable-looking chairs across from each other; she took one chair and gestured him toward the other.

"So. The summary you give here," she held up the form he'd filled out, "is fascinating; why don't you tell me the whole story. Don't worry about justification or anything, just give me what happened from your perspective."

He took a deep breath. "Isabella and I were friends growing up - we lived across the street from each other. We'd been interested in each other for years, and started dating in high school. We did a long-distance relationship through college, and then moved in together after graduation, a little over two years ago. Beginning of last year, she got pregnant accidentally. I told her I'd support whatever decision she made, and she decided to keep the child."

He looked over at Corinne, who was taking notes quickly. "Okay. And?"

"I had been planning to propose to her, but I didn't want it to seem like it was because of the pregnancy, so we agreed not to do a formal engagement until after the baby was born. So last September, she gave birth to our daughter, Rebecca Annette Flynn."

"Do you have a picture of her?"

"Right here," Phineas said automatically, pulling out his phone. He'd taken pictures on the evenings he'd spent at Isabella's apartment, and showed her his favorite, the first time Becky had smiled at him. She still wasn't 100% sure about this strange man, but she was warming to him slowly.

"Oh, she's adorable. A year old now?"

"Yes."

"Okay. So what happened after she was born?"

"I'm not sure. I really don't remember it that clearly, to be honest. I was stressed because of the baby, and whether I could support a family, and the engagement...I wasn't sleeping."

Corinne pushed her glasses up and leaned forward. "Not sleeping how? What do you mean?"

"I wasn't getting any sleep. I'd lay in bed and stare at the ceiling, listening to Isabella breathing. I took the overnight feedings, because I was awake anyway, and then I wasn't sleeping during the day either."

"How long did you go without sleeping?"

"I don't know. A week, maybe a week and a half? I'm not entirely sure if I ever slept after Isabella and Becky came home."

"Okay. So you hadn't slept for over a week. And then what happened?"

"It's...all a blur. Isabella took Becky off to her two-week checkup, and...I had to get out of there. I left a note, left all my stuff, and ran. Car, wallet, keys, phone, everything. I didn't want them tracking me down through my stuff. The next thing I really knew, it was two days later, and I was waking up in a truck stop in Boise, Idaho. The driver said I'd passed out just after I got in his truck."

"So what did you do then?"

"I kept running. I decided what I'd done was unforgivable, and kept going. I went out to Seattle, then slowly roamed down the coast. Eventually I got to San Francisco. I remember...this would be about two weeks ago now. I was standing on the Golden Gate Bridge, and thinking that I should just go over the edge. That my father had run away and vanished, and maybe that was the best thing I could do for them."

"Something stopped you. What was it?"

"I saw a family walking toward me, and the little girl looked like...well, what I think Becky will look like when she's about that age. Three, maybe four years old. And I realized that...I really needed to see that. That she deserved a father who'd be there for her. I knew I had a little over a week to get back for her birthday, so I got started down I-80."

"Did you think about calling someone and arranging for a plane ticket or something like that?"

Phineas sat back, thinking. "No, not really. That would have been smart, I suppose, but I didn't want to tell anyone before Isabella."

"Okay. So you came back?"

"I came back. Fortunately, just as I thought I'd never make it back in time, I met up with a trucker named Frank in Reno, and he was driving back to Danville. He gave me a ride all the way back, made sure I got food and was freshly showered and had clean clothes when we got back. I need to find him and thank him."

"So how did everyone take you coming back?"

"Isabella...I don't know. I think she'd been hoping it could all be back the way it was, and then I showed up, and it couldn't. She's...less angry now. Becky's still getting used to me, but we're making progress.

"My brother gave me a hug and welcomed me back to the company. My sister yelled at me and cried. My mother...well, after what my biological father did, having me show up again was, like, the sun coming out after a year of darkness. My father was mostly supporting my mother.

"Isabella's mother still wishes I'd never come back, to be honest."

Corinne nodded, and pointed her pencil into her notepad. "You mentioned your biological father. What happened there?"

"My mother was a pop star, a one-hit wonder. Lindana - you might have heard of her?"

Corinne's eyes lit up. "Oh, God. I loved that song."

Phineas grinned briefly before sobering up again. "So on her way down from fame, she met up with this guy, Tim Patrick. She got pregnant, but they didn't get married. That was my sister, Candace. And then...well, he was out of town a lot for work, but a few years later, along I came. And then he lost his job. I was about six months old, and he went out for a walk...and never came back. She got a letter from him a week later, surrendering any custody claims, and saying he was gone."

"And he never returned?"

"Never. We have no idea what happened to him. My sister looked into it a bit, but didn't get anywhere. A couple years after he left, Mom met Lawrence - my father. Stepfather, I suppose, but he's always been my father, and his son has always been my brother."

"So your family was worried you'd taken after Tim?"

"Yes. Mom said seeing me again was the biggest relief she'd had in her life."

Corinne sat back in her chair, flipping through her notes. "Okay. My professional guess on what happened, based on what you've said, is that you had a mental breakdown due to stress and lack of sleep. Basically, deprived of sleep, your brain stopped working normally and instead went into...well, fight-or-flight mode, more or less. Then, when you finally slept, you started coming out of it, but were still running scared, so you couldn't rationally realize that going back then was your best solution. By the time you were fully functional again, it had been long enough that the fear was ingrained.

"It took something stronger than the fear - your love for your family - to break through and bring you back. Did you doubt you were doing the right thing on the way back?"

"No. I was afraid of what would happen, but...I knew I had to do it."

Corinne pushed up her glasses. "I think we should keep working together on this. I think our top priority is making sure you never get to that level again, so if you go even one night without sleeping, I want you to call me. Okay?"

Phineas nodded.

"Beyond that, I want to try to give you coping strategies so that if this _does_ happen again - and, let me say, in my professional opinion I consider it unlikely - you recover faster and can come home faster."

"Thank you. Making sure this doesn't happen again is all I want."

"It would be easier if you had somebody keeping an eye on you, as well. Would that be something that Isabella could do?"

"No, but my brother can. I wouldn't want to impose something like that on Isabella. It's not like we're going to be involved with each other except through Becky."

"You think the relationship was damaged beyond repair?"

"Even if it wasn't, I don't think I deserve its repair."

Corinne looked at him for a long moment, then wrote something down.


	4. Thanksgiving

Isabella's days rapidly developed a rhythm. Phineas started coming over to help with breakfast; after a couple weeks, she gave him a key so she didn't have to let him in every morning. With him feeding Becky, it gave her time to get a real breakfast and a more leisurely shower, which made her look forward to the day more than she had since before Becky was born. She'd drop Becky off at Abuela's for the day. Her mother would typically 'just happen' to mention some young man she knew who was single and would, she was sure, make a wonderful husband and be a father for Becky, and Isabella would find some excuse not to get roped into a date with him. She'd gone on dates with two of these 'wonderful' young men before Phineas had returned, and both had been disasters.

She'd spend the day at work, occasionally visiting Phineas and Ferb at F&F for lunch, then return home, picking up Becky on the way. Becky played while she took a quick shower to wash the day away, then Phineas would come over. Sometimes he came over early and made dinner for the three of them; sometimes he ate with his parents, and Isabella whipped something up for her and Becky before he came over to help with Becky's bedtime.

Weekends, Phineas still came over for breakfast and dinner. Sometimes he'd take Becky for the day, and go do something with her; sometimes they ended up spending the day hanging around the apartment, or going out and doing things together. Those were Isabella's favorites; for an hour or two, she could almost pretend they were a family again. She barely caught herself from grabbing his hand a couple times before reminding herself that, no, she wasn't getting involved with him that way again.

He'd invented - or reinvented, depending how you looked at it - the wood-metal fuser, and the patent paperwork was progressing. She joked with them at lunch that she should get her name on the patent, too, since she'd been the one who'd brought it back in time for them. Ferb had raised an eyebrow at Phineas and they'd instantly agreed, to her great surprise.

Phineas made Becky a small Godzilla suit for Halloween, and even Vivian had been unable to resist smiling at his eager expression as he prompted Becky to say, 'Tick oh teet!'

* * *

Phineas hadn't meant to end up in Isabella's room. Becky had been being difficult, and decided to run away from him shouting, "No!" when he went to change her diaper. He chased her into her mother's room, and stopped. It had been his room - their room. That had been their bed. And he'd thrown it all away.

Becky was trying to hide behind the desk; it wasn't very effective. He sidled over and picked her up, listening to her scream. Holding her against his chest, he saw a tape-covered piece of paper on the side of the desk.

It was the note he'd written when he'd left; it had been torn to pieces, then carefully taped back together. He leaned over to look at it.

**Dear Isabella:**

**I need to go. I'm sorry. It's not your fault. I can't do this. It's better this way.**

**I'll try to come back when I can.**

**Take good care of her. I always love you both.**

**Phineas**

He'd thought he'd been more expressive than that; apparently his memories of the event were fuzzier than he thought.

With a sigh, he carried his squirming daughter off to a desperately-needed diaper change.

* * *

Isabella held the apartment door open with her foot as she picked up the grocery bags she'd set down. Phineas looked up from his seat on the couch, closed his laptop, and came over to help; Becky was sound asleep on the floor, holding her stuffed bunny and sucking on the first two fingers on her left hand.

As they put the groceries away, Isabella asked, "So how was she?"

"A bit difficult on a diaper change. I had to chase her into your room."

Isabella laughed. "She does that sometimes."

"I...saw the note," he said hesitantly.

She paused, then kept putting away groceries. "I was so furious when I found it that I tore it up. And then I realized it might be the last thing I ever got from you."

"I'm sorry."

"I know. You're doing what you can to fix it. We go on."

"It gave me an idea, actually. I started looking into what happened to Tim."

"Tim? Your biological father? Why?"

"If I can figure out why he never came back...maybe it can help me make sure I never run away again."

Isabella looked over at him; he looked sad and resigned. "So what did you find?"

"The last letter from him was postmarked Warren, Pennsylvania. So I poked around the local newspaper and government websites, trying to see if there was any record of a Timothy Patrick. Nothing."

"Okay. He may have just been passing through, though."

"I know. It's just the last lead I have. I'll see what else I can find out."

* * *

Isabella and Becky arrived at the Flynn-Fletchers' house around noon for Thanksgiving. She and her mother had been going over there for years, ever since her father had died when she was very young; they hadn't wanted to do the full Thanksgiving for just the two of them. The celebration had grown over the years - Jeremy had joined Candace, and their children had come along, and then Vanessa had joined Ferb. They both spent time here before going over to their in-laws, making sure to spend time with both families.

Normally Linda's parents would join them as well, but this year they were off visiting Linda's sister Tiana and her family on a trip down the Orinoco River. Even so, Linda and Lawrence's three children, two children-in-law, and four grandchildren, plus Isabella and her mother, made for a very full house.

Lawrence, Vanessa, and Jeremy were watching the football game in the living room, while Candace and Jeremy's three-year-old twins, Fred and Xavier, played with toy trucks on the carpet. Candace, Phineas, and Ferb were all helping their mother in the kitchen, with Amanda trying to direct everyone's activity. Becky toddled over to join the twins in their play.

Vivian came over, carrying a casserole dish full of tamales; despite Linda insisting that she didn't need to, she always felt obligated to bring something over to share. Isabella smiled as her mother told Becky, Amanda, Fred, and Xavier that they were all so grown up and had gotten so big.

Isabella sat and chatted with Vanessa while they waited for the meal to finish up. Vanessa seemed to be paying a lot of attention to Becky, making Isabella wonder if she and Ferb were considering adding another grandchild to the tally.

"How are you and Phineas doing?" Vanessa asked quietly.

Isabella shrugged. "There really isn't a 'me and Phineas'. There's Becky and Phineas, but...to be honest, I think he's scared of me."

"He probably is. Ferb thinks he still cares about you, but thinks that there's no way he can make up for what he did, so he's funneling it all into Becky. You know Phineas - he doesn't do anything half-way, not even self-loathing."

Isabella laughed despite herself, waving off curious looks from Jeremy and Lawrence.

* * *

Phineas sat between Becky and Vivian at the table, with Isabella on the far side of Becky. Amanda had protested at how Becky got to sit at the adult table while she had to sit at the kid table with her brothers, but quieted down when Candace asked if she wanted to sit in a booster seat.

Phineas cut up some turkey and put it on Becky's tray. She picked a piece up and put it in her mouth, giving him a grin. He served himself some food, remembering his last Thanksgiving. It was by far the best meal he'd gotten while he was away, at a church in Seattle. Now, a year later, he was back home, and seemed to be doing okay on getting his feet back under him. He'd created a relationship with his daughter. And maybe - someday - he could rebuild his relationship with Isabella? It seemed unlikely, but he'd done the impossible before.

Vanessa, across from Becky, and Jeremy, across from Phineas, started talking about her political career and his work as a music teacher. Vivian was mostly talking to Linda, next to her on the end of the table, and Candace, across from her. At the other end, Isabella and Lawrence were talking quietly as Ferb sat and listened. Phineas enjoyed a moment of solitude in the midst of the bustle, concentrating on enjoying the meal and feeding his daughter.

As the meal drew to a close, Jeremy asked, "So, Phineas, how are things going with your therapist?"

"Really well," Phineas answered, looking up. "She thinks I'm not at a serious risk of running like that again."

Beside him, Vivian sighed.

"Are you and Isabella..." Jeremy trailed off.

Phineas looked over at Isabella, who was busily talking to his father.

"I hope not," Vivian muttered.

Linda looked up sharply from her conversation with Candace. "Why not?" she asked.

Vivian glared at Phineas, then said, "He left her behind. Surely you don't think my Isa should take someone back who'd do something like that?"

Linda said, in a quiet but firm voice, "He came back."

"That doesn't make up for what he did," Vivian said.

"He's trying," Linda said. "What more do you want him to do?"

"Get out of the way so she can find someone she can count on? Maybe it would have been better for them if he'd never come back at all."

Candace and Jeremy looked at each other, and with an exaggerated glance at his watch, Jeremy said, "Oh, look at the time, we need to get to my parents' house." They packed up quickly as Linda and Vivian squared off, Linda arguing that Phineas was trying to make up for his mistake and Vivian claiming it was unforgivable. Ferb and Vanessa left at the same time, claiming a need to go visit her mother's house for the holiday.

Becky was looking back and forth at her grandmothers as the argument grew more heated, and started to cry at the anger in the room. Isabella picked her up out of the chair to comfort her, and Phineas suggested the two of them go home early and he'd meet up with them for bedtime later.

Isabella said her goodbyes to Lawrence and waved at her mother and Linda, who didn't notice because they were both busily blaming Becky's tears on each other. Phineas watched them go, and turned back just in time to see Vivian pick up her casserole dish and march out the front door, pointedly ignoring him as she walked past.

"Fine!" Linda said, closing the door behind her. She gave Phineas a hug, and said, "I just want you to know that I'm proud of you for coming back, and staying even when _some people_ are saying horrible things about you. It was a difficult thing to do, I know."

Phineas nodded as he looked over her shoulder out the window. _I wasn't content to just wreck my own relationship. I just destroyed one of my mother's oldest and closest friendships. Good job, Phineas._

_I was a fool to ever think we could make it work again. Vivian's right. Isabella needs somebody she can count on, and I'm not it._


	5. Happy Holidays

Isabella had been concerned about Phineas after Thanksgiving; he seemed down over the fight between their mothers. She tried to convince him that it hadn't been his fault, but he wasn't buying it.

He spent the days of the long holiday weekend with them, evidently trying to convince himself he deserved to be Becky's father, and trying to stay away from his parents.

On Monday, Vivian was somewhat subdued when Isabella dropped off Becky. They didn't talk much during drop-off or pick-up. Phineas came over for dinner, played with Becky for a bit, then read her a story and tucked her in, kissing her forehead and running his hand through her hair to wish her goodnight. He talked to Isabella for a half-hour or so before going home.

A couple minutes after the door closed behind him, Becky started crying. Isabella went in to see what the problem was.

"Daddy come back?" Becky asked, sobbing.

"He'll be back tomorrow morning," Isabella said, holding her daughter.

"Promise?"

"He'll give you that promise if you'd like," Isabella said, after a brief moment of hesitation that she cursed herself for.

"'Buela said..." Becky sobbed, and Isabella's eyes narrowed.

"Abuela said he might not come back?"

Becky nodded into her shoulder.

"He'll come back. He'll be here tomorrow. Maybe some time he'll go away for a little while, but he'll always come back to you. He's your Daddy."

She held her daughter as she calmed down, falling asleep on her shoulder. Isabella laid her in the bed, pulling the covers up again.

* * *

The next morning, as they arrived at her mother's house, Isabella said, "Becky, why don't you go play for a couple minutes. I need to talk to Abuela."

Becky ran off into the house as Vivian looked at her daughter inquiringly.

"Mama, I don't want you talking to Becky about Phineas. It's not your business."

"I'm just trying to protect her, Isa."

"He's doing the best he can. There's nothing more I could ask him to do for being involved in her life."

"Until he leaves again. I never should have encouraged you two. I never should have let you two move in together before you got married."

"Mama, it wasn't like you could have stopped me. It was my choice."

"You should find some other nice man to be a father to Becky. Let me introduce you to Consuela's son Aron. He's a nice young man."

"I went out on a date with him months ago. He doesn't like kids."

Vivian shrugged. "Okay, so not Aron. We can find somebody else."

"Mama, whether you like it or not, Phineas _is_ Becky's father. I will not stand by and let you sabotage his relationship with his daughter."

"He's done a good enough job of that on his own."

"He's trying to make up for that. I hate to put it this way, Mama, but I don't want you putting Becky in the middle of this. If you have a problem with Phineas, then say it to him. If you keep telling Becky he's going to leave, I'm going to have to find someone else to watch her while I'm at work."

Vivian looked across at her, stunned. "You'd choose him over your own mother? I stood by you when he left, and this is the thanks I get?"

Isabella gave her a wicked grin. "Becky's only got one father. If it comes down to it, she's got another grandmother."

"This is the thanks I get. Everything I've done. Stabbed in the back by my own daughter."

"I thank you for everything you've done. But I'm not going to let you undo everything Phineas has done since he got back."

"When he leaves again, what will you tell Becky?"

"If that happens, I'll deal with it as I see fit. But I'm not going to make her worry prematurely. I had to spend half an hour calming her down again last night after Phineas went home for the night. Even if you won't do it for Phineas...do it for Becky. She doesn't need that."

Vivian gave her a tight-lipped frown, looked over at Becky, and nodded. Acceptance, but not acquiescence. Isabella figured it was the best she'd get, so she nodded agreement.

* * *

That night, Phineas tucked Becky into bed, then saw that she was looking at him with tears in her eyes. He kissed her on the forehead, and said, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Promise?"

He took a deep breath, and nodded. "I'm not going away again. I promise."

She hugged him, curled up with her bunny, and put her fingers in her mouth as he left the room.

"Sorry about that," Isabella said as he got out into the living room. "Mama decided she needed to warn her, after Thanksgiving."

"I guessed. I can't say I blame her."

"I told her not to do it again."

He looked at her, surprised. "Thank you."

"Were you thinking about...?"

"I'd be lying to say it never crossed my mind, but...no, not really. I talked to Corinne today, and she said I'm doing better. Besides," he said, looking at Becky's room with a smile, "I made a promise not to go away again."

She lightly punched his shoulder. "Oh, _she_ gets the promise, eh?"

He looked up at her, embarrassed. "I didn't think you'd want one from me any more. I just..."

"That's okay. It's not like a promise to her isn't one to me as well."

"I suppose it is, isn't it?"

* * *

Isabella had asked if he was sure he wanted to go to Hanukkah at her mother's, under the circumstances, but he'd insisted. "If I'm going to be part of Becky's life, I need to be there."

He walked across the street, noticing that Isabella's car wasn't there yet. He considered going back home and waiting until she arrived, but he decided that he could deal with Vivian long enough until Isabella got there. He knocked on the door, and Vivian swung it open.

"Happy Hanu...oh," she said, seeing who was there. "You decided to show up, nu?"

"It's the first Hanukkah I get to spend with my daughter. It's important."

He'd been spending Hanukkah with the Garcia-Shapiros since even before he and Isabella started dating; Vivian had always loved having him there. The last one he'd been there for, two years before, he and Isabella had been living together for about six months. Vivian had dropped some not-very-subtle hints about marriage, which he took in stride. He'd been planning to pop the question on Valentine's Day, but Isabella's unexpected pregnancy had caused him to delay.

Vivian pursed her lips as she looked at him, and stepped aside to let him in. "You missed her first Hanukkah."

Phineas took a deep breath. "I did. I know. I'm sorry - I know how much you wanted Isabella and I to be together. I'm just trying to be a father to my daughter now."

"Not trying to get back together with Isabella?" she asked sharply.

"She was the best thing that ever happened to me. And I threw it away. I know I don't deserve a second chance with her."

She looked across at him flatly, and said, "I hope you don't expect me to try to convince you otherwise."

He was still trying to think of a response when a knock at the door indicated Isabella had arrived.

* * *

Phineas sat back in the chair in Corinne's office, trying to answer her question. "What would I like?" he pondered. He shrugged, and asked, "Does it really matter? I've got a relationship with my daughter. I've already got more than I deserve."

Corinne tapped her lips with the pen. "You use that word 'deserve' a lot. Why don't you deserve happiness?"

He stared at her. "I abandoned my girlfriend and newborn child. Just ask Vivian, she'll tell you what I deserve."

"Yes, you've told me what Vivian thinks. It sounds like Isabella is on your side against her, though. And just because your daughter's grandmother doesn't like you doesn't mean you aren't allowed to be happy. You made a mistake. You're trying to correct it."

"It's not like I can be forgiven for what I've done."

"You're allowed forgiveness. You're allowed to accept that forgiveness. You're even allowed to forgive yourself, although I know that one's a ways off."

Phineas sat back, pondering. He shook his head. "Maybe I'm allowed forgiveness, but I don't think I'm ready for it yet, even if somebody gives me some."

* * *

Isabella smiled at Phineas as he carried Becky into his parents' house for Christmas. They'd had a small celebration this morning, where Becky had gotten some toys in her stocking; Linda had asked them to have most of the presents at her house.

Becky had loved the tree both times she'd seen it before, but now that it had all those fascinating boxes underneath it, she was enthralled. Ferb and Vanessa were there before them, sitting together on the couch; Candace and Jeremy were on the other couch, while their three children sat in front of them on the floor. Amanda clearly considered herself in charge - truly her mother's child. Xavier and Fred were sitting patiently, playing with small toys they'd gotten in their stockings that morning. Linda and Amanda quickly got to work sorting presents while Phineas and Becky took a seat in front of Ferb. Ferb leaned down to say something quietly, and Phineas laughed, pointing to the pile of presents.

Isabella stood back a bit with Lawrence, who was busily trying to take pictures of the day's events. She looked over at Phineas, trying so hard to be the perfect father to their daughter, and wondered.

_Can I forgive him? Do I want to?_

In a way, the whole thing hadn't even been his fault. Or, at least, not all his fault. She hadn't realized he hadn't been sleeping; she just knew he was covering the overnight feedings, and she reveled in being able to sleep. Anyone who had gone as long without sleep as he had could have a breakdown like that.

_Not that it makes it hurt any less. For me, or for him. And not that he'd ever believe it isn't his fault._

She thought back to one of the nights of Hanukkah, when she'd arrived before Phineas had. While Becky played with a dreidel, her mother had commented quietly on Phineas saying he didn't deserve forgiveness, and how she agreed with him. And then her mother had looked at her, sighed, and said, "You've always been single-minded about him. Ever since you met him, you've never given any other guy a chance. Maybe it's time for you to move on finally. Or am I wrong?"

She hadn't been able to answer at the time, but now, after some time to think, she realized that, yes, her mother was wrong. That even after what he'd done to her and Becky, that she still loved Phineas, and even though it wasn't the magical reunion she'd dreamed of, that he had come back to stay. And maybe someday, they could be a family again.

But right now, he needed to get his feet under him first. That was okay. She was used to waiting for him to be ready for a relationship. And she suspected he wouldn't take as long to come around this time.

* * *

Phineas watched Amanda try to stay awake as the TV show from New York slowly ground toward midnight. She'd gotten special permission from her parents to stay up; her brothers were already in bed and supposedly asleep.

Candace had asked him to watch the kids so she could go to the Danville New Year's Party with Jeremy, and he'd accepted. Isabella had decided not to go, and so he'd helped get Becky down for the night before coming over to babysit. Phineas suspected that Isabella didn't really want a reminder of the last New Year's they had spent together either.

They'd celebrated together in their apartment, enjoying a bottle of champagne together. One thing had led to another, and they'd gotten careless in their passion. They were both pretty sure that that had been the night Becky had been conceived.

He wondered what her New Year's had been like last year. Alone with a three-month-old child, not knowing if the girl's father was ever coming back.

_Still better than mine, blackout-drunk under an awning in Portland. At least it kept me out of the rain for the night._

_My New Year's resolutions: build myself a life again. Be a father to my daughter. And be here next year to make a new resolution._

"Amanda," he said, startling the girl awake. "It's almost midnight."

"Thanks, Uncle Phineas," she said, smiling at him.


	6. The Apartment Search

Shortly after New Years', Phineas decided it was time to move out of his parents' house again, as part of building his new life. He started looking into apartments, but was having trouble finding something that was close enough that he could walk to Isabella's. He was still pondering this when he arrived at Isabella's the following Friday night. Her friends had planned a night out, and she was going along, so he was staying with Becky while she was out.

He tried not to stare at her as she walked around the apartment, finishing her preparations. She was dressed in a pale blue dress that she looked absolutely incredible in, and he had to fight to keep from trying to convince her to stay there for the night. _Not what she needs right now. Nowhere near what she deserves. Be good, Phineas._

* * *

Isabella closed the apartment door behind her, leaning against it and taking a deep breath to calm down. Phineas was asleep on the couch; the TV had gone to infomercials. With a smile, she pulled a blanket out of her closet and tried to tuck him in, but the motion woke him up.

"Sorry," he said, sitting up. "Did you have a good time?"

"No," she said as she sat at the other end of the couch. "They were trying to set me up on a blind date."

"Oh," he said quietly. "And?"

"Totally not my type. I told them that if they tried it again, I'd make them regret it."

He laughed. "Think it'll work?"

"For a while."

He smiled at her, but the smile quickly faded. "I should go."

"It's late, you're welcome to crash on the couch, just let your parents know so they don't worry."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Actually, I am," she said. "You'd be back soon enough to help with breakfast anyway."

"True enough," he agreed, and wrapped the blanket around himself.

* * *

As Phineas set Becky in her high chair the next morning, Isabella said, "I've been thinking about your apartment search."

"And?"

"I'm trying to figure out why you need an apartment when you'd never be there. We can turn your old office into a bedroom, and you can move in here if you'd like."

He looked up at her, surprised; she seemed a little nervous, although he was pretty sure nobody else could have caught it.

She continued, "This way you don't have to worry about rushing over here before she gets up, and heading home after she goes to bed. And...well, half your stuff is still here anyway."

He laughed. "True enough. You're really okay with this?"

She smiled. "I really am."

He took a deep breath. "I'll think about it. Seriously. It sounds good...let me talk to Corinne first? I see her Monday."

"That's fine. There's no rush. It's not like anyone else is moving in."

* * *

Phineas was sitting at the mall that afternoon, watching Becky in the play area while Isabella ran some errands, when Ferb cleared his throat behind him.

"What's up?" Phineas asked without looking back.

Ferb sat next to him on the bench, and quietly said, "You spent the night at Isabella's last night."

Phineas laughed. "On the couch. The girls dragged her out for a get-together that apparently was a cover for a blind date. She wasn't impressed, but she got home late enough that we decided it would be easier for me to crash there for the night. I pinged Mom and Dad; sorry, I should have let you know as well."

Ferb nodded.

"However, we're talking about having me move to the spare bedroom there - the one that used to be my office. Still thinking on that one."

"Why wouldn't you? It would make your life easier."

Phineas looked away, watching Becky play, and paused a moment before speaking. "I still love her, Ferb. I don't know if I'm up to sharing an apartment with her without trying for...what we used to have."

"Have you talked to her about your feelings?"

"Of course not. I don't want to make her feel guilty for not loving me any more. It's not her fault. How could she love the guy who abandoned her?"

Ferb shook his head.

* * *

Corinne was waiting for Phineas Monday afternoon. "So, what happened this week?"

"I spent the night on Isabella's couch Friday night after she got back late, and Saturday morning she offered to let me move into the spare bedroom."

"Okay. That sounds like it would solve both your current problems, as another step toward building a new life while still keeping you close to Becky."

"It does, but...am I ready for that? I'm worried that I'm still too much in love with her."

"It's your call, but I think it would be a good step to take. You need to get used to dealing with her in ways other than through Becky."

"Can I really just be friends with her?"

Corinne took her glasses off to clean them. "I think you can, if that's what you both want."

* * *

Isabella was trying to keep focused on her meeting when her phone buzzed with a message from Phineas:

**If you're still okay with me taking the spare room, I think I will.**

She quickly sent back:

**It's all yours.**

_I'd worried I'd scared him off. Maybe...maybe we can ease him into this._

He replied:

**I'll be over after work with my stuff, then.**

* * *

Phineas arrived just before dinner, with a suitcase. Isabella had been clearing her stuff out of the office, and moving what of his was still in her room over. Becky looked up from where she was playing on the floor, confused.

"Daddy's moving in here. He's going to live with us now. That's going to be Daddy's room," Isabella said, pointing toward the door Phineas was coming out of.

Becky pointed at the door. "Daddy room." Then, she pointed at the door to her room, saying, "Becky room," and Isabella's door, saying, "Mommy room."

"Exactly," Isabella said.


	7. Finding Tim

**Note: I've never been to Warren, Pennsylvania. I have no association with it, and didn't really even research it much. It was the town of the day on Wikipedia's Pennsylvania portal when I was looking for somewhere for Tim to send the letter from, and it was about the size I wanted. Any similarity between what's described here and the actual Warren is entirely coincidental.**

* * *

Becky quickly learned that Daddy was more of a morning person than Mommy was, and after she moved into a "big-kid" bed, Phineas found himself frequently waking up to his daughter at his door, asking for breakfast.

He also found that living with Isabella was more difficult than he expected. She was so beautiful, and he found himself sensitized to her presence - watching her walk from the bathroom to her bedroom after a shower, even though she was covered by a robe; sorting out her underwear from the laundry they did together; hanging out with her in the evenings, sharing a couch as the TV provided background noise while they read or caught up with email.

He talked to Corinne about this; she asked what he wanted. Did he want a relationship with Isabella again? He admitted that he did, but was sure the feeling wasn't mutual. The idea was ludicrous. Certainly Isabella wasn't doing any of this to try to draw his attention. She was just getting on with her life, with him as a part of it only because of Becky. Corinne nodded as she cleaned off her glasses.

He mentioned this to Ferb one day; Ferb just shook his head and rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Isa, why did you let him move in?" Vivian asked one morning. "It's going to be harder for you to find a good father for Becky with him hanging around."

Isabella sighed. "She's got a good father."

"Fine. It's going to be harder for you to find a good husband for _you_ with some strange man hanging around."

Isabella rolled her eyes. She really didn't want this argument right now.

Vivian frowned at her daughter. "You're going to take him back, aren't you? He abandons you for a year, and doesn't even propose, and you're just going to take him back? He doesn't deserve you. Here, let me introduce you to my friend Margaret's son Philip. He's in his last semester of law school."

"No, Mama."

"Let me show you a picture."

"_No_, Mama."

Vivian shook her head. "Fine. Be that way. If he leaves again, I get to tell you I told you so."

Isabella looked at her mother and smiled. "'If'? A month ago, you said 'when'."

Vivian's eyes got wide as Isabella walked over to where Becky was playing, kissed her on the head and said, "_Te quiero_, sport. Be good for Abuela," before heading to work.

* * *

Phineas returned from tucking Becky into bed, and tried to figure out how to phrase this without overly alarming Isabella. He'd been living there for two months now, and had integrated himself into their lives to a degree that scared him if he thought about it too much. "I need to go to Pennsylvania for a couple days. I'm taking Thursday and Friday off work, since it's about a day's drive each way."

"What's up?" she asked.

"Looking into what happened to Tim some more. There's a newspaper archive there for where his last letter was postmarked. If I can't find anything there..."

Her brow creased for a moment. "Want some company?"

"I'd love some, but what do we do with," he nodded his head toward Becky's room.

Isabella shrugged. "She comes along. She'd love the idea of a trip with Daddy."

He stared at her for a long moment. "I've only got one hotel room reserved."

"Two beds?"

"I assume so, yes."

"That's fine. You get one, and I'll share the other with Becky."

Phineas looked at her for a long moment. _Well, if she thinks it's okay, I guess it's okay. _"If you're willing, I'd love the company."

"Let me mail my team and let them know I'll be out."

* * *

They hit the road after breakfast Thursday morning. Isabella looked over at Phineas, driving along in the car he and Ferb had built in high school. Becky was buckled into her car seat in the back; she'd just hit the point where they had to turn her around, so she had a view out the front window between the two of them. Isabella pointed out things to her as they drove along, until she fell asleep an hour into the trip.

"You're really good at that," he said.

"You're getting pretty good at dealing with her yourself."

He looked over at her for a moment. "Thank you. That really means a lot."

They shared a companionable silence for a short while as he drove along the highway.

"So how are things going with Corinne? Learning good coping techniques?" she asked.

"Yeah. She thinks that now that I know what's going on, even if I did trip another breakdown, I'd just come straight back instead of continuing to run."

"That sounds good."

He nodded. "She's also trying to convince me that...well, that one mistake isn't the end of the world."

"And?"

"I'm not one hundred percent sold yet."

She laughed, and he cracked a smile.

"The world goes on," she said. "And you make what you can out of what's left."

He looked over at her wistfully, then turned back to the road ahead.

* * *

They'd checked into a small hotel in Warren, Pennsylvania. She lay in bed that night, Becky curled up with her bunny next to her, and listened to Phineas's slow breathing in the next bed over as he slept.

_I always loved this part of spending the night with him. Listening to him sleep, the one time of the day when he's peaceful. That's been the hardest part since he moved back in. Going to sleep in that big empty bed, knowing he was so close, but so not ready to be any closer._

_Maybe coming on this trip was a bad idea. Maybe I'm pushing too hard._

_I forgot how difficult this is, wanting to be with him while he isn't ready yet._

* * *

Isabella had taken Becky to play in a nearby park while Phineas dug through the newspaper's archives. Becky was climbing up on the toddler play structure when Isabella looked up and found him running toward her, waving a sheaf of printouts.

"What'd you find?" she asked.

"It's not conclusive, but I may have found Tim. About two days after that letter was mailed, an unidentified man was killed trying to hop onto a train heading out of town. I need to see if I can find the police report and get more information on him."

"Oh, congratulations!" she said.

"Let's get some lunch before we hit the police station?" he suggested.

"Sounds good. Becky - want some lunch?"

The little girl came down the slide and ran over to them. "Lunch!"

Phineas pointed them toward the small diner they'd seen on their way over from the hotel. Becky trotted along the sidewalk in front of them, since she'd recently decided that strollers were for babies.

They were almost there before Isabella realized that somehow, when she wasn't looking, she'd ended up holding hands with Phineas as they walked. His hand was warm in the chilly March air, and he suddenly jerked as if he hadn't realized yet either. He looked over at her, concerned, and she tried to give him a reassuring smile even as he gently disengaged his hand from hers.

* * *

He lay in the hotel bed the next morning, thinking through the previous day. Based on the description in the police report, he'd probably found Tim, although what he'd found wouldn't help him at all. If he was right, Tim had died two days after sending the letter. He'd been trying to hop a train - possibly back to Danville, it was impossible to tell. The letter he was carrying had been shredded and unreadable, and no other personal effects were found. But, at least Phineas now knew why Tim had never tried to contact them. Maybe - just maybe - he'd died trying to come back.

His thoughts kept bouncing back to Isabella, asleep on the other bed. He looked over at her in the dim light coming through the curtains. She was so relaxed as she slept - morning was always one of his favorite times of day with her. All the worries of her job, her family, everything, they were all gone as she slept, and there was just the soft face of the woman he had loved, and abandoned.

He wasn't sure how they had ended up holding hands the previous day. When he'd realized, he'd expected her to be furious, but instead she'd looked...almost embarrassed. Like she'd been caught doing something she knew she shouldn't, but wanted to anyway.

Why would she want to? Could she possibly still love him?

Maybe one mistake wasn't the end of the world after all?

How did they go on from here?

* * *

After spending all of Saturday driving home, they spent Sunday running the errands they needed to deal with to get through the week - groceries and laundry and other essentials. Finally, it was time for little girls to go to sleep. Becky hadn't wanted to go to bed, but during a special reading of Snoozers, she'd finally passed out mid-story while helping him read I'm Not Tired.

Phineas brushed his hand through her hair and tucked her in, then turned off the light on his way out to the living room.

Isabella sat on a couch, reading a book, and he sat at the other end to join her. She looked up at him with an introspective expression, and asked, "Phineas? Is this...enough for you? Are you content?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," he said.

"You've got a wonderful relationship with your daughter now. She loves her Daddy. But do you want any more of a relationship...with me?"

Her eyes were starting to glisten with wetness, and he couldn't help but stare into them. "I...I..." he stammered. "I've already got more than I deserve. I don't think that what I want really matters here."

"It matters to me, Phineas. It matters a lot." She set down her book, then reached over and took his hand; the touch was electric.

He gulped. "I dream about being with you again. But...I don't ever want to hurt you again. I..."

"I know. I know you've been working with Corinne on ways to keep it from happening again."

He had to look away. "Not just Corinne."

"Oh?" she asked.

"Shortly after I got back, I asked Ferb to put a tracker in me. So he could get an alert if I wasn't where I was expected, and come find me no matter where I ran."

"Because...?"

"Because, even though I don't deserve anything with you any more, I need to give Becky the best chance of having a Dad that I can."

"What about what _I_ deserve?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"You deserve...better than me."

"I don't want better than you, if that even exists. I want _you_."

"But...I might..." he said hesitantly.

"You might. But you know what? I'd rather have what time I can with you and get hurt when you go, then get the hurt every day of not being with you."

He squeezed her hand. "You always were a risk taker."

"You're worth the risk, Phineas. While you were gone, I dreamed of you coming back, and it'd all go back to the way it was."

"It can't, though."

"No, it can't. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't make it the best we can. What's past is past. Let's worry about the future. Together."

He took a deep breath, and nodded. "I want a future with you. I love you, Isabella."

"I love you too. Messed-up head and all."

He slid closer to her, and she guided his lips to hers. As they kissed, their arms slid around each other.

With a pleased hum, he broke away, then picked her up and carried her into her bedroom as she curled against his chest.

* * *

**Okay, we'll fade to black here to keep the T rating.**

**If you want the E (Explicit) rated version of the next scene, it's posted separately at AO3; link is in my profile. It is not necessary for any part of the plot. (The word "gratuitous" comes to mind.)**


	8. Aftermath

"Daddy?"

Phineas woke up and squinted at the clock, puzzled to find that it wasn't on the nightstand where it always was.

"Daddy?" Becky's voice was across the apartment instead of at his door like usual.

For that matter, the nightstand was gone. It was like he wasn't in his own room at all.

His eyes snapped fully open as he realized he was in Isabella's room. In Isabella's bed - what had been their bed. Rolling over, he saw her lying next to him, her eyes starting to open as well. The blanket had slipped down, revealing her bare shoulder, and he suddenly remembered what they'd done together last night.

"Mommy, Daddy gone!" Becky said from the doorway to the bedroom.

Phineas sat up, saying, "I'm here."

Becky started. "Daddy! This Mommy's room!" she said indignantly.

He started getting out of bed to feed her, then realized he was naked under the covers. "Um...why don't you go wait in the kitchen, I'll be there in a minute," he said.

Becky glowered at him, then turned and ran to the kitchen.

He looked back down at Isabella, and her eyes were dancing over a quirky smile. He leaned down to give her a quick kiss, then got out of bed and grabbed his pants off the floor.

By the time he got into the kitchen, Becky had climbed into her booster seat, and he poured her a cup of milk and a bowl of Cheerios. She took a sip from the cup, then said, "That Mommy's room! Silly Daddy!" and giggled. She pointed across the living room at the bedroom doors. "Daddy's room, Becky's room, Mommy's room."

Isabella came out of her bedroom wearing her nightshirt, and Phineas fought the urge to stare at her. "I think Mommy and Daddy are going to start sharing a room, Becky," she said with a smile at Phineas.

"Why?" Becky asked through a fistful of Cheerios.

Phineas looked at Isabella. She laughed and said, "Because we sleep better that way."

"Oh," Becky said. After a moment's thought, she asked, "Becky too?"

"No, I think Becky needs to sleep in her own room," Phineas said.

"Okay."

Isabella came over and pressed herself against him, giving him a lingering kiss. "I'm going to go get a shower," she said, and he watched her walk toward the bathroom before starting to set up the coffee maker for the day.

* * *

"Hi, Jamie," Phineas said, walking into Corinne's waiting room. "Thanks for fitting me in early."

"Not a problem, Mr. Flynn," he said. He clicked his mouse, and looked up at Phineas. "She's all ready for you, just go on in."

Corinne was sitting at her desk eating a sandwich, and waved Phineas to the chair. Swallowing, she said, "So what happened that you needed to come in three hours early for?"

Phineas sat and, unable to think of a better way to phrase it, said, "Isabella and I spent the night together last night."

Corinne paused, setting her sandwich down. "And?"

"And I'm terrified that I'm going to hurt her again."

"Does she know that?"

"Yes. We talked before...jumping into bed."

"Did she seem upset about it this morning? Did it seem to be a one-time thing for her?"

Phineas shook his head. "Far from it. She told Becky that we'd be sharing a room."

Corinne raised an eyebrow. "Oh? How did Becky take it?"

"Confused. Daddy was in Mommy's room."

She laughed. "That's not unreasonable for her age. So: what do you want, Phineas?"

"I want to know I'm not going to hurt her. Either her - Becky _or_ Isabella."

Corinne pushed her glasses up and sat back. "I can't give you certainties, Phineas. I can tell you that, as long as you get some sleep every night and keep an eye on your stress, I do not believe you are likely to have another breakdown. I can tell you that you know enough now that if you did have another, you'd come out of it quicker and get home quicker.

"But I can't tell you you won't ever hurt her, because you will. It's part of being that close to someone - sometimes things hurt."

Phineas took a deep breath, and nodded.

"So, back in the world of attainable things...what do you want?"

"I want...I want the three of us to be a real family."

"It sounds like you are. You've got a daughter who has two loving parents, who are trying to make their relationship work. What's missing?"

Phineas sat back, thinking for a moment. "Just one thing."

* * *

Isabella headed out for a lunch break, telling her assistant that she might run late. On her way out of the building, she sent a quick text to Ferb:

**Is Phineas around?**

The reply came back quickly.

**He said he had errands to run before his appointment with Corinne, and left just before lunch.**

**Can I stop by to talk for a minute?** she sent back.

**You're always welcome here.**

Six minutes later, she walked in the front door of Fletcher and Flynn Technologies. She waved to Carla as she passed reception.

"Mr. Fletcher said to tell you he's in the Mini-Submarine conference room, Ms. Garcia-Shapiro," Carla said.

"Thanks, Carla," Isabella said, heading in and finding that room quickly. Ferb stood looking out the window, and turned when he heard her come in.

"Phineas said he asked you to put a tracker in him?" Isabella asked.

Ferb nodded, then held up two fingers.

"Two trackers? Does he know?"

Ferb shook his head.

"Why two?"

"So that if he were to remove one, the other one would activate a day later. I'd ask why he told you about this, but I suspect I know."

Isabella raised an eyebrow in inquiry.

"The tracker notifies me if he spends the night anywhere but his bedroom. So I had a message waiting for me this morning, saying he'd spent the night in your room."

Isabella blushed. "Ah. Yes, that would do it."

"I've updated it so it won't alert unless he's out of the apartment entirely. Are you two going to...be together again?"

"I think so? We'll talk about it some more tonight. Thanks, Ferb. For everything."

Ferb inclined his head in response.

* * *

Isabella's smile faded as she saw the look on her mother's face. She'd arrived to pick up Becky after the day at work, but it looked like Vivian had found out more than she wanted.

"Mommy and Daddy are sharing a room?" Vivian asked disapprovingly.

Isabella sighed. "Yes. As of last night."

Vivian shook her head. "You could do so much better, Isa."

Impishly, Isabella said, "Phineas agrees with you, actually. I'm convincing him I disagree."

"I'm stuck with him, aren't I?"

"If you want to deal with your daughter and grandchild, yes. What more do you want from him? He's doing everything he can."

Vivian's eyes searched her face. "If he loves you even half as much as you love him...there are women who live their lives without a love that strong. All I want is for you to be happy, Isa. Does he make you happy?"

Isabella gave her mother a soft smile. "Yes. Yes, he does."

"Then I will not stand between you. But a wedding ring would ease my mind, you know. At least then, if he leaves again, you aren't stuck begging his brother for scraps."

Isabella rolled her eyes. "We'll get there."

* * *

Becky had gone to sleep, and Isabella looked across at Phineas on the couch.

"About last night..." he began nervously.

"Don't you dare think I didn't want that," she said.

He fidgeted, running his fingers through his hair. "No, I could tell. We both wanted that. I've just got two questions. Do you want to...continue? You said to Becky this morning that we'd be sharing a room; is that still okay with you?"

"It's okay with me if it's okay with you. And I really hope it's okay with you."

"Okay. That depends on the second question, then. What is this relationship? Are we a couple again? Or is this just a friends-with-benefits thing?"

"I'd assumed we were a couple again. I love you, Phineas. I want to build a future together," she said earnestly.

"I love you too. In that case...I should have done this a long time ago." He slid a small box out of his pocket. "Let's start working on that future. Isabella...will you marry me?"

She jumped forward and wrapped her arms around him, whispering, "I will gladly marry you, Phineas."


	9. Epilogue

_18 Months Later_

Isabella pulled into the driveway of their house and took a deep breath. This was the moment she'd been dreading, ever since she had gotten pregnant with Becky's younger sister. Rachel's two-week checkup had been today; the last time Isabella had come home from one of these, she'd found a note and hadn't seen Phineas for almost a year.

A lot had happened since then, though. He'd come home, and eventually moved in with them, and finally proposed to her. Three months later, they'd gotten married. Working together for the wedding had finally gotten their mothers talking again, although Linda had given Vivian an exasperated look for her wedding present to the happy couple: an ankle monitor. Isabella had almost let Vivian in on the joke about why they'd found it so funny, but decided she didn't need to know about the implanted trackers.

Shortly afterwards, they'd bought this house, and decided to give Becky a sibling - on purpose this time.

But that was then. Phineas had originally planned to come along to the pediatrician's office, but the appointment got scheduled through Becky's naptime, and Hell hath no fury like an un-napped three-year-old. They then planned have Ferb stay with him while Isabella took Rachel to the pediatrician, but Ferb and Vanessa's six-month-old twins had come down with something the day before, and nobody wanted to expose the newborn to whatever the Fletcher family had come down with. Somewhat reluctantly, Isabella had left him home alone with Becky. He'd convinced her that things would be fine; Ferb could keep an eye on him through the tracker, and if something came up, he'd call her. She knew Phineas wouldn't go anywhere. Absolutely knew it.

But there was that little niggling doubt in the back of her mind that just wouldn't go away.

There was only one way to get rid of the doubt. She pushed the garage-door button, and the door rolled up. Phineas's car was still there, but he'd left it behind before. She pulled her car in next to his, turned it off, and closed the garage door. Rachel was asleep in her bucket, so Isabella detached it from its base and brought it into the house.

The garage opened into the kitchen of their new house, with five bedrooms. _Plenty of room, in case we decide Becky needs lots of siblings_, he'd said, and she'd enjoyed the thought at the time. But now...

There was no note on the kitchen counter, but also no welcoming committee. "Phineas?" she called out, horrifying thoughts going through her head. Phineas running away, taking Becky with him this time. Phineas hurting himself somewhere where nobody found him until it was too late.

"Phineas?" she called again, carrying Rachel into the living room.

She was about to call out a third time when she heard him quietly say, "I'm here." He lay on the couch, stretched out with his eyes closed. Becky lay on his chest, napping, with his arm holding onto her. Isabella couldn't help but smile at the scene.

"Right here," he said, his eyes still closed, his lips curling upward. "Not going anywhere."

* * *

**As always - thank you to all my readers for your time and attention. They're your gift to me, and I thank you. I give extra thanks to those who've followed, favorited, and reviewed this as we've gone.**

**Special thanks to Sabrina06 for putting up with me whining about writing this thing, and poking me until it was a better story.**

**My next story, Phineas's Christmas Carol, will start being posted presently.**


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